Alex Stopa's percussion setup for Wicked at The Smith Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Wicked - Alex Stopa

Alex Stopa's percussion setup for Wicked at The Smith Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Alex Stopa's percussion setup for Wicked at The Smith Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.Alex Stopa's percussion setup for Wicked at The Smith Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.Alex Stopa's percussion setup for Wicked at The Smith Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.Alex Stopa's percussion setup for Wicked at The Smith Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“Playing Wicked at The Smith Center in Las Vegas has been a blast!

Perhaps the biggest challenge with my setup was navigating such a wide variety of unconventional instruments. Kenny Hodges in Salt Lake City sent me photos of a rack system that he built in order to mount the very specific instruments (wand, shell chimes, Tibetan goat bell, trine, etc.) that the show demands. I designed a similar rack out of metal pipe (purchased from a local hardware store) and it allowed me to play these instruments quickly and efficiently without removing them from the rack.

A Lavalier Mic ensured that everything was picked up in the mix. I placed the chimes at the front of my setup just to try something different. It worked well and made some of the quick transitions a little smoother.

The percussion book is extremely well written, creative and challenging. Big thanks to Majestic Percussion and Sabian cymbals.”

Alex is a proud sponsor of Sabian Cymbals, and Majestic Concert Percussion.

Wicked - Regional - Alex Stopa
November 2014

Alex Stopa's percussion setup for Wicked at The Smith Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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